Maersk speeds up FM3

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

After just a month and a half on an eight-week rotation, the ocean carrier Maersk Line has once again increased the speed of its weekly FM3 service between Asia and the Indian Subcontinent, decreasing roundtrip voyage time on the service from 56 days to 49 days.
American Shipper reported April 12, 2012 that the FM3 had slowed to a seven-week roundtrip voyage time and added a call at Shanghai, with transit times eastbound to Asia from the Indian Subcontinent increasing by about seven days. On Feb. 4, American Shipper reported the service had slowed again, further increasing eastbound transit times to China and South Korea by another week as vessels slow-steamed an additional seven days between Singapore and Xingang, China, in order to skip one sailing position commencing Pipavav, India, on March 15.
With this latest increase in speed, transit times eastbound from the Indian Subcontinent to Asia have improved by about seven days, as vessels will no longer slow steam one extra week between Singapore and Xingang.
The rotation of the FM3 remains Pipavav, Nhava Sheva, Karachi, Colombo, Port Kelang, Singapore, Xingang, Gwangyang, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Tanjung Pelepas, Colombo, and Pipavav.
The service currently operates with seven vessels, four from Maersk, two from partner CMA CGM, and one previously voided sailing, with a reduced average weekly capacity at present of 5,455 TEUs. Maersk subsidiary Safmarine continues to take slots on the FM3. - BlueWaterReporting, Ben Meyer